How much meat is enough??

[BrewerDJ]

We've only done a couple of comps but after many practice sessions, too many hours watching shows & videos and untold hours reading the Brethren we went from 3 Packers, 3 Butts, 8 racks and 24 thighs down to 1 Packer, 2 Butts, 3 or 4 racks & about 12 thighs.

We figured both briskets are being cooked in the same place in the smoker so if one isn't cooked right, chances are they both aren't right. 1 butt to pull and one for slicing. If we cant get enough good ribs out of 3 or 4 high quality racks we're doing something wrong anyway. And 12 thighs because prepping 12 thighs is a big enough pain in the arse. 50 is INSANE! That should be plenty... unless something get dropped, then we're Fraked.

Then there's the stuffed fatty, the Taylor Ham, wings and ABTs to fuel the team.

and BEER.

[DawgPhan]

If you can't cook 1 rack of ribs perfectly, what are the chances you can cook 6 racks right?

[JS-TX]

I notice a lot of brethren here only cook 1 brisket vs 2 or more butts. Is this because of the money muscle? I do IBCA here in TX so 99% of the comps don't require pulled pork.

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by DawgPhan

If you can't cook 1 rack of ribs perfectly, what are the chances you can cook 6 racks right?

Really? With your 1 rack of ribs, you've never run into a case where that 1 rack came off a bit skunky, or had a shiner right in the middle, or you seasoned it a little too much on accident, or it was at the end of your smoker (if you smoker is large enough to have ends) a little too long and was slightly over-cooked, or slightly under-cooked, etc.?

In MBN I'll never cook less than 12 racks of babybacks; usually 14 or 15 racks. In GBA, I'll cook 6...

[DawgPhan]

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs

Really? With your 1 rack of ribs, you've never run into a case where that 1 rack came off a bit skunky, or had a shiner right in the middle, or you seasoned it a little too much on accident, or it was at the end of your smoker (if you smoker is large enough to have ends) a little too long and was slightly over-cooked, or slightly under-cooked, etc.?

In MBN I'll never cook less than 12 racks of babybacks; usually 14 or 15 racks. In GBA, I'll cook 6...

I think you missed the point.

If you are cooking them because you need them, then you need them. If you cooking them because you hope out of 6, 1 comes out right, then you should just spend your time practicing.

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by DawgPhan

I think you missed the point.

If you are cooking them because you need them, then you need them. If you cooking them because you hope out of 6, 1 comes out right, then you should just spend your time practicing.

My apology, I did misunderstand.

[New Pal Frank]

Originally Posted by JS-TX

I notice a lot of brethren here only cook 1 brisket vs 2 or more butts. Is this because of the money muscle? I do IBCA here in TX so 99% of the comps don't require pulled pork.

That's why I do 2 butts. And If I screw up the one for sliced, oh well. More pulled to choose from and to feed the guys at work.

[RX2006JE]

i cook 6 because the quality of ribs that i can get me hands on is not always the best and they all cook up differently. some don't look or taste the same even when all are cooked to the same method. so i want the best to choose from, its not a case of not knowing how to cook them just that i want the best to choose from. having said that i am thinking i am going to reduce the number down to 4 racks per contest this year.

[CBQ]

Originally Posted by JS-TX

I notice a lot of brethren here only cook 1 brisket vs 2 or more butts. Is this because of the money muscle? I do IBCA here in TX so 99% of the comps don't require pulled pork.

Yes, the money muscle is perfect a little sooner than the rest of the butt, but since (in KCBS) you can't slice it off and return the butt to the smoker, a lot of people cook multiple butts and pull at different temps.

My wife, who does most of our chicken trimming, would be coming after me with the knives if I showed up with 50 pieces of chicken...wow.

More meat = more options, but there is a tipping point where the extra meat takes up more of your time, and more space in the smoker, so the quality goes down. Many smokers will perform differently with different amounts of meat in them, so I try to keep the load and placement the same. .

[Rick Hamilton]

9 chicken, 4 ribs, 2 butts, 1 brisket

[Red Valley BBQ]

16 thighs, 3-4 racks of ribs, 2 pork butts, 1 brisket.

[big brother smoke]

12 thighs, 4 racks, 2 butts and 1 brisky.

[Wampus]

Originally Posted by DawgPhan

I think you missed the point.

If you are cooking them because you need them, then you need them. If you cooking them because you hope out of 6, 1 comes out right, then you should just spend your time practicing.

Yes, but still.....we cook all of our ribs identically (as I'm sure most do). Yet, when we open them up and start slicing and taste out of each rack, there are ones that taste BETTER than others. There's not usually a big difference in tenderness, and there's rarely one rack that tastes "bad", but we always put the best tasting ones on the top in the box.



I say this as a team that has never cooked more than 4 racks, usually 3 at a comp. Plus.....we like a nice full rib box, so we send a LOT of bones.

[Wampus]

Originally Posted by DivaHerself

teenage disposal units

[txschutte]

16 thighs, 3 racks. 2 butts, 2 briskets